1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that transfers an image formed on an image carrier onto recording paper (recording material), a market support system, a control method and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an expanding marketplace has led to an increasing demand on image forming apparatuses, which performs electrophotographic image formation in multiple colors (including in full color), for forming images on various kinds of recording paper. However, manufacturers of image forming apparatuses do not individually set the image forming conditions (transferring conditions, fixing conditions, etc.) and recording-paper transport conditions (hereinafter abbreviated to “transport conditions”) for every kind of recording paper used in the marketplace.
Most users set the image forming conditions and transport conditions to the most versatile values based on the recording paper that is recommended by the manufacturer of the image forming apparatus as a typical kind of paper. Consequently, the image forming conditions and transport conditions of the conventional image forming apparatuses are not set according to each kind of recording paper, according to images and contrast of user's preference, or according to the usage environment of the image forming apparatuses.
In order to solve the above problem, some methods of setting each image forming apparatus for the image forming conditions and transport conditions for recording paper have been proposed (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-215865).
The image forming apparatus proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-215865 has a function of rewriting values preset by the manufacturer to values suitable for the usage of the image forming engine and user's preference; however, detailed settings of the image forming conditions and transport conditions cannot be made for increasingly diverse kinds of recording paper. Upon setting the image forming conditions and transport conditions for recording paper, the setting value of a basis weight (a weight of paper per unit area)/surface properties (the degree of smoothness or roughness of the paper surface)/resistance and so on may be different depending on the kind of the recording paper. Furthermore, the user's preference in image quality (print condition of the image) to the base of the recording paper may not always be the same.
In addition, the image forming apparatus proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-215865 can changes/stores the settings depending on the kind of recording paper, or changes the settings of the image forming apparatus according to the user's preference. However, if the user prefers to change the setting accompanied with a change in the kind of recording paper used in the image forming apparatus, the user is required to reset the settings. This requires the user to perform troublesome and cumbersome work.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, it is desirable to set in detail and store the image forming conditions and transport conditions including the media type, basis weight, surface properties, thickness, resistance and so on of the recording paper. Furthermore, it is desirable to read out a setting by using the parameters including the media type, basis weight, surface properties, thickness, resistance and so on as keywords.
In addition, a user visually checks an output image to adjust the image forming conditions and transport conditions according to the kind of recording paper. However, the user needs to change several items of the image forming conditions and transport conditions to make the adjustment, thus it takes time for the users to finish all the adjustment. Furthermore, it requires a lot of recording papers for outputting images to adjust all the conditions, which is a waste of the recording paper.